Waiting

The table had been set hours ago; the meal prepared with excitement. Time had passed and yet the tears of his beloved still kept him awake. He saw them clearly on that godforsaken day: Samara holding the small babe in her arms, Casey clinging to her mother’s skirts. His disappearance had been necessary – he had run for his life and the lives of his growing family. The knock on his door shook him out of his reverie. The opened door however brought with it pain, not joy. The policeman had an expression of regret on his face.